Posted Mon May 28, 2012, 3:03pm Subject: Overwhelmed! Please help narrow down my options for a new coffee maker

Long story short, I'm tired of getting inconsistent and terrible tasting coffee from a cheap $30 Mr. Coffee auto drip I purchased a couple years ago. I'm looking for a new coffee maker that can consistently brew coffee the way it was meant to be brewed. I drink coffee maybe 4-5times a week, typically about 20oz at a time. I'm far from a coffee connoisseur, but I do enjoy trying new flavors/varieties and I can certainly tell when I'm drinking a bad cup of coffee.

For convenience and coffee/tea/cocoa variety, I was seriously considering going the K-cup route, but after literally a week of reading through reviews, it seems like the k-cup machines don't do well producing more than a 10oz cup, not to mention being extremely unreliable. I then moved on to considering pods, but dismissed that idea since I really don't want to obtain my coffee online or go through the trouble of making my own pods.

So, I'm back to the "drip" style machines, but completely overwhelmed. Among other machines, I've looked into the Technivorm but too costly. The Bunn PhaseBrew looked promising, but there are quite a few mixed reviews everywhere I look. The Melitta seems to have decent reviews overall, but I am skeptical as the cost is significantly less than many of the other makers I've been looking into. Then I came across the Capresso 464/465 with integrated and auto/programmable grinder. If I had to pick a coffee maker right now, I'd probably go with the Capresso, although I'm still not confident.

My budget is flexible, but realistically I can't justify going too much over $200 for a coffeemaker. Help me find the right coffee maker for my needs!

Posted Mon May 28, 2012, 4:37pm Subject: Re: Overwhelmed! Please help narrow down my options for a new coffee maker

TheHolyCannoli Said:

Long story short, I'm tired of getting inconsistent and terrible tasting coffee from a cheap $30 Mr. Coffee auto drip I purchased a couple years ago. I'm looking for a new coffee maker ... Help me find the right coffee maker for my needs!

Interesting. I had briefly come across that machine but I think I overlooked it due to it's extreme simplicity in combination with a $150 tag. How do you think it compares to the Capresso machine (integrated grinder aside)?

Posted Mon May 28, 2012, 4:58pm Subject: Re: Overwhelmed! Please help narrow down my options for a new coffee maker

Have both and can confirm the Bonavita brews faster and comes up to proper temps much quicker so the coffee tastes better.

As for the Capresso 454, you really can't separate the grinder though since it drives the cost up considerably - it grinds nice but leaves a whole lot of grounds to grow stale in the chute/path waiting for the next grinding to push them down into the filter basket...

I chew coffee beans with my teeth while gargling with 195 F water to enjoy coffee. What is this "coffee brewing" device you speak of?

Posted Mon May 28, 2012, 5:23pm Subject: Re: Overwhelmed! Please help narrow down my options for a new coffee maker

EricBNC Said:

Have both and can confirm the Bonavita brews faster and comes up to proper temps much quicker so the coffee tastes better.

As for the Capresso 454, you really can't separate the grinder though since it drives the cost up considerably - it grinds nice but leaves a whole lot of grounds to grow stale in the chute/path waiting for the next grinding to push them down into the filter basket...

Thanks for the info. I was thinking the added cost of the Capresso might be worth having a decent grinder, but then again, I haven't looked much into grinders. I'm assuming you compared the final cups after using freshly ground beans to brew each. If I decided to go with the Bonavita, I probably would end up using pre-ground beans...but if past experience holds true, probably not for long if I stick around these forums for any length of time.

Any comments on clean-up between the 2 machines? I'd assume the Bonavita is much easier.

So far so good on the brewer. There have been a few writeups on CG about it also. I believe most have been favorable. Certainly a great price for a decent brewer.

Len

(Click for larger image)

"Coffee leads men to trifle away their time, scald their chops, and spend their money, all for a little base, black, thick, nasty, bitter, stinking nauseous puddle water." ~The Women's Petition Against Coffee, 1674

I noticed it has a 1500W heating element.....I'm starting to think that the makers with the most robust heating elements are the ones producing the best coffee. Other than high watts and even drip dispersion, I can't really seem to find any other common denominator between the positively reviewed units. Feel free to enlighten me if I'm not on the right track as I might be more productive in my search if I knew what i should be looking for...what a novel idea.

Posted Mon May 28, 2012, 6:03pm Subject: Re: Overwhelmed! Please help narrow down my options for a new coffee maker

TheHolyCannoli Said:

Certainly a strange looking machine, but an appealing price point.

I noticed it has a 1500W heating element.....I'm starting to think that the makers with the most robust heating elements are the ones producing the best coffee. Other than high watts and even drip dispersion, I can't really seem to find any other common denominator between the positively reviewed units. Feel free to enlighten me if I'm not on the right track as I might be more productive in my search if I knew what i should be looking for...what a novel idea.

The DMC900 makes 10 cups of coffee in 6 minutes, something the company enjoyed highlighting. The machine is quite a nice looking machine, very modern looking and artsy. The coffee it makes is excellent.

Len

"Coffee leads men to trifle away their time, scald their chops, and spend their money, all for a little base, black, thick, nasty, bitter, stinking nauseous puddle water." ~The Women's Petition Against Coffee, 1674

Posted Tue May 29, 2012, 1:25am Subject: Re: Overwhelmed! Please help narrow down my options for a new coffee maker

The Capresso grind path is hard to clean - the brewer part is not hard to clean.

I wanted the coffee maker in Len's Amazon link for a while when searching like you. Read the reviews and the clear picture begins to lose focus - too many "great coffee while it lasted" reviews...

If you can find a Melitta/Gevalia BCM-4 coffee brewer in good shape - they pop up often in thrifts in my area for around five bucks - you will have a very capable 22 fl oz max coffee maker - much less than 1500 watts too so the thermostat setting comes into play as well with these devices. Good luck and do use the search feature since long threads covering this subject are as plentiful as the answers given. : )

I chew coffee beans with my teeth while gargling with 195 F water to enjoy coffee. What is this "coffee brewing" device you speak of?

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